Finally milled some logs.........

[ScotO]

At long last, after a hectic two months, the stars aligned and I got a chance to slip away with from the living room project and got the 8 poplar logs and one white oak log milled today. My buddy Chris and his pap have a 1940's era Frick roundblade mill, which hasn't ran in over 10 years, we ran it for several hours today after some maintenance. Ended up with a nice stack of lumber, gave half of it to the guys that helped out. My lovely wife wants to take the poplar that I brought home and use it to make crafts and rustic benches. She's gonna be busy! White oak will get stickered in the garage for a while and I'll build some nice shelves out of it down the road. Enjoy the pics......

 

[ScotO]

Some more pics.......

 

[Jags]

What is supplying the power to that old mill? I see multiple v-belts - big electric??

 

[thewoodlands]

Looks like a work horse Scotty. The second pics are waffer thin I can hardly see them!

zap

 

[ScotO]

What is supplying the power to that old mill? I see multiple v-belts - big electric??

no, a 1950's GM 471 diesel! That ol' girl has probably close to a couple million hours on it, it was in an old dragline at a stripmine for years. I was impressed with that vintage piece of machinery! Jags, you'd have loved that rig, I know how you're into that vintage equipment, this thing was right up your alley!

 

[ScotO]

Ended up with a nice stack of lumber, all by 1:00pm! Now I have to sticker it up and patiently wait for it to dry!

 

[Jags]

no, a 1950's GM 471 diesel! That ol' girl has probably close to a couple million hours on it, it was in an old dragline at a stripmine for years. I was impressed with that vintage piece of machinery! Jags, you'd have loved that rig, I know how you're into that vintage equipment, this thing was right up your alley!

Cool stuff. I like watching the old skool kick'in butt. I have watched many of board ft being torn apart with steam engines as the power plant. Even my old Case DC has made a few boards in its life. Flat belt pulleys are still on two of my old tractors "just in case".

(PS - I would love to get a few nice slabs of that white oak to feed to my planner. YYYyrrrroooommm)

 

[ScotO]

Looks like a work horse Scotty. The second pics are waffer thin I can hardly see them!

zap

They're showing up on my computer fine, not sure, did you let them load? sometimes it takes a few seconds......

 

[PapaDave]

MORE PICS! MORE PICS!
Looks like that cut pretty true and square.
I don't suppose you did a video, eh Scotty?
Lots of work offloading the lumber.

 

[ScotO]

MORE PICS! MORE PICS!
Looks like that cut pretty true and square.
I don't suppose you did a video, eh Scotty?
Lots of work offloading the lumber.

I was gonna do a video, but I was busy on the loading end of the mill. Not to mention it is a PITA for me to load videos to youtube off of my phone, it won't connect to my wifi.....I think I need a new wifi box at the house.....next time. We're gonna mill those Kentucky coffeetrees that I plan on cutting in November, I will definately do a video of that process.

 

[ScotO]

Cool stuff. I like watching the old skool kick'in butt.

Check this out, hows this for ingenuity? I love the old skool......nothing better...

 

[Jags]

That is pretty cool. I was wondering how they advanced the cutting table. Then I saw it, just an old skool lever turning a ratcheting wheel. Looks like you could set it for the next cut and go feed the chickens, though.

 

[ScotO]

That is pretty cool. I was wondering how they advanced the cutting table. Then I saw it, just an old skool lever turning a ratcheting wheel. Looks like you could set it for the next cut and go feed the chickens, though.

Yeah, it wasn't built for speed. But it is neat to see it work. I hear-tell they have one of these mills, just like this one on the video, that is up near Mackinaw, MI. I think it was built in the 1760's or something like that. I'd love to go there sometime, to see Fort Michilimackinac, I'm a colonial history buff....

 

[Jags]

Yeah, it wasn't built for speed.

It didn't have to be. It could do that 24/7 and never get tired.

 

[onetracker]

scotty -

great pics. what an awesome old mill. i want one.

OT

 

[ScotO]

scotty -

great pics. what an awesome old mill. i want one.

OT

Yeah, I fell in love with that ol' mill. I gotta have one, but due to lack of space I'll have to put it in the wife's parking spot in the driveway, she's not gonna be happy!

 

[fishingpol]

Nice photos. Poplar is nice to work with. I'm currently building a desk for my daughter, part poplar, part re-purposed maple.

Up this way there is a functioning up and down sawmill at Old Sturbridge Village. When they run it the whole mill structure shakes. As the frame holding the blade begins to move, you realize the raw power the machine has. Pretty awesome.

 

[PapaDave]

The fort's interesting Scotty. It's been quite a few years since I was there last.
Probably pretty touristy now.

 

[PapaDave]

Nice stacks of lumber too.

 

[ScotO]

The fort's interesting Scotty. It's been quite a few years since I was there last.
Probably pretty touristy now.

Dave, I have a couple French trade axes that were found up in that area by a guy who metal-detects when they are building a new road, building etc. I'd love to go see that area sometime...

 

[DexterDay]

Nice work. Thats gonna make for some fine lumber Scotty....

That old Diesel probably started right up. With a shot of Ether (starting fluid)

 

[ScotO]

Nice work. Thats gonna make for some fine lumber Scotty....

That old Diesel probably started right up. With a shot of Ether (starting fluid)

Yes it did! It smokes a bit (some of that because it runs on off-road diesel), but other than that it purred like a kitten. I had a lot of fun, I'm looking forward to doing those kentucky coffeetrees this fall. I may even save a honey locust log from that farm where I still have four to cut. I'm getting into this 'milling yer own lumber' thing. I will build a bandmill someday, either in this life or the next....

 

[bogydave]

Great pics
Dad'smill was similar.
When you are standing by that unprotected, fast moving big saw blade, you are paying full attention to what's going on.
Not worrying about videos
Nice lumber!

 

[ScotO]

Great pics
Dad'smill was similar.
When you are standing by that unprotected, fast moving big saw blade, you are paying full attention to what's going on.
Not worrying about videos
Nice lumber!

Yeah, Dave. When that blade is spinning and the motor humming along at full throttle, that damm thing is intimidating! We had a great time working that wood. Chris, his pap Bob (who lost one of his arms eons ago), his mom, his sister and a buddy Tom from work all did the chores at the mill today. Tom has a woodshop, and I was very pleased to give him around 300 board feet of the clearer poplar. He was pumped, it made me feel good to share that wood. Nothing like good friends working together. They wouldn't take payment for the work, so I'm giving two gallons of syrup to Chris's family, along with money for the fuel we used (7 gallons). They are a hard-working family, living on land they've had for generations.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

Thanks for the pictures Scott, they brought back some memories. I've cut some lumber on one of those old mills and they can surprise you how much you can cut in a day. Only thing I did not like was the use of only one dog. I knew other sawyers who would do that but one will never be sorry for using 2 on EVERY cut.I don't doubt that diesel ran the mill good.

As for the intimidation, yes it can intimidate and you do have to be aware at all times. I knew a man who was nearly killed one time when both he and the offbearer let their attention slip a bit. Caught a 2 x 10 in the saw backwards and it came right into his face. Ugly to say the least and he was one very lucky man to live through it albeit a super long recovery period. I was fortunate to learn many skills from this man.